“No. We’re not.”
Devon took a bite out of some meat and washed it down with the wine. “Call this our wedding night, or honeymoon.”
“That can’t be,” Kera whispered. “Not possible.”
“Why?” He cut a leg from the chicken on the platter, and Kera watched him with the knife.
“Because, I have some say about whom I marry.”
Devon took a bite of meat and then leaned back once more on the pillows with his legs outstretched, crossed at the ankles.
“Not when you become the property of the Compound. Your father signed all rights away before he left town.”
Kera slipped her own knife under the table as she regarded Devon. “My father shouldn’t have the right to sell me,” she said in a tight voice. “I’m twenty-one. Old enough to say no to coming to the Compound.”
“He signed all the papers,” he told her in a matter-of-fact way. Devon stood up, went to the other room, and came back with papers in his hand. He sat and tossed them to her. “Look for yourself.”
Kera glanced down at the papers. Sure enough they stated that all rights to Kera were signed over to the Compound. She was sold, owned by the Compound with only one chance of gaining freedom and that was by marriage. If she didn’t find a match, then she was to remain a server of the Compound and could be used as they saw fit.
She looked back up at him. “This isn’t right,” she whispered, fisting the paper in her hand.
“Eat something.” Devon pushed her plate towards her.
Slowly she brought some of the meat from the chicken he’d cut up to her lips. “I won’t argue with you about right and wrong.
47
Especially since I agree it isn’t right the way the Compound or Treece treats some of you.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I’m here because I wanted you.”
“And I just bet you get everything you want,” she snorted.
“Spoiled rich boy sees something unattainable and just has to figure out a way to get it.”
“Okay first off, I’m not that rich.” He held up a finger. “And second, most of the time I don’t get what I want. I have to work at it.”
Kera rolled her eyes. “Oh please.”
“And for the record, my buddy, Blaine, has been trying to figure out a way to change some of the rules the town has concerning the Compound.”
“And if he did that, then what would you keep your time occupied with?” She batted her eyes at him and smiled sweetly.
Devon chuckled, shook his head, and took a big drink from his wine glass before sitting up. “You.” He reached to the side where a dish was still covered. Taking off the lid, her mouth watered at the sight of the fruit piled high and two chocolate strawberries.
“Now these, I hear, are to die for.” He picked up one of the strawberries and held it up in the air over her head. “Take a bite.”
Kera bit her lip before opening her mouth and taking the large strawberry into her mouth. Her eyes seemed to close automatically as the flavors exploded in her mouth. Sweet juice mixed with chocolate filled her senses and slid down her throat.
Being poor most of her life, the only way she could get something like this was if she snuck into the fields and picked it herself.
Not waiting to be asked again, she reached up and took the fruit from him, finishing it off in two huge bites, sighing softly at the pleasure.
“You like them, huh?” Kera opened her eyes and nodded while he took the other one and bit into it. “I heard they do something special to them to bring out the sweetness.”
“What?” she asked with a mouth full.
“Oh, I’ll never tell,” he smiled, finishing off the fruit, “at least not yet.”
48
She got a funny feeling from the smile he was gave her. She licked her lips, moved back on the pillows, and watched him cautiously as he finished off his wine and poured himself more.
“You really should eat something,” he told her again.
“Why?”
“It’s going to be a long night for us.
Devon took a bite out of some meat and washed it down with the wine. “Call this our wedding night, or honeymoon.”
“That can’t be,” Kera whispered. “Not possible.”
“Why?” He cut a leg from the chicken on the platter, and Kera watched him with the knife.
“Because, I have some say about whom I marry.”
Devon took a bite of meat and then leaned back once more on the pillows with his legs outstretched, crossed at the ankles.
“Not when you become the property of the Compound. Your father signed all rights away before he left town.”
Kera slipped her own knife under the table as she regarded Devon. “My father shouldn’t have the right to sell me,” she said in a tight voice. “I’m twenty-one. Old enough to say no to coming to the Compound.”
“He signed all the papers,” he told her in a matter-of-fact way. Devon stood up, went to the other room, and came back with papers in his hand. He sat and tossed them to her. “Look for yourself.”
Kera glanced down at the papers. Sure enough they stated that all rights to Kera were signed over to the Compound. She was sold, owned by the Compound with only one chance of gaining freedom and that was by marriage. If she didn’t find a match, then she was to remain a server of the Compound and could be used as they saw fit.
She looked back up at him. “This isn’t right,” she whispered, fisting the paper in her hand.
“Eat something.” Devon pushed her plate towards her.
Slowly she brought some of the meat from the chicken he’d cut up to her lips. “I won’t argue with you about right and wrong.
47
Especially since I agree it isn’t right the way the Compound or Treece treats some of you.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I’m here because I wanted you.”
“And I just bet you get everything you want,” she snorted.
“Spoiled rich boy sees something unattainable and just has to figure out a way to get it.”
“Okay first off, I’m not that rich.” He held up a finger. “And second, most of the time I don’t get what I want. I have to work at it.”
Kera rolled her eyes. “Oh please.”
“And for the record, my buddy, Blaine, has been trying to figure out a way to change some of the rules the town has concerning the Compound.”
“And if he did that, then what would you keep your time occupied with?” She batted her eyes at him and smiled sweetly.
Devon chuckled, shook his head, and took a big drink from his wine glass before sitting up. “You.” He reached to the side where a dish was still covered. Taking off the lid, her mouth watered at the sight of the fruit piled high and two chocolate strawberries.
“Now these, I hear, are to die for.” He picked up one of the strawberries and held it up in the air over her head. “Take a bite.”
Kera bit her lip before opening her mouth and taking the large strawberry into her mouth. Her eyes seemed to close automatically as the flavors exploded in her mouth. Sweet juice mixed with chocolate filled her senses and slid down her throat.
Being poor most of her life, the only way she could get something like this was if she snuck into the fields and picked it herself.
Not waiting to be asked again, she reached up and took the fruit from him, finishing it off in two huge bites, sighing softly at the pleasure.
“You like them, huh?” Kera opened her eyes and nodded while he took the other one and bit into it. “I heard they do something special to them to bring out the sweetness.”
“What?” she asked with a mouth full.
“Oh, I’ll never tell,” he smiled, finishing off the fruit, “at least not yet.”
48
She got a funny feeling from the smile he was gave her. She licked her lips, moved back on the pillows, and watched him cautiously as he finished off his wine and poured himself more.
“You really should eat something,” he told her again.
“Why?”
“It’s going to be a long night for us.
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